The Story Begins And Ends With Dr. Rankin's Rhubarb

MADISON, CT —Cancer consumes Don Rankin’s body. But his spirit is “very strong,” his memory long, and his mind sharp and bright.

He’s a scientist, a surgeon, a naturalist, a giver, a man devoted to education, diversity, humanity, and his family and community, locally and globally.

As an expert on many things, it’s his deep knowledge of immunology and critical medicine and the nature of, well, nature, and people, that’s led him to share his expertise by posting about the COVID-19 disease and pandemic on Facebook for his many followers.

Even as he’s combating prostate cancer. When recently home from the hospital, a car parade was held in his honor.

And then there’s the rhubarb.

Rankin, 79, and his wife Nancy, married for 56 years, and known each other since they were children in Manhasset, New York, have lived in Madison for four decades.

Rankin graduated from Colgate University, was a football player, was fast-tracked in school because of his mathematic acumen, graduated from medical school, he’s a chemist who did research on the DNA molecule, and a physicist, with experience in immunology. He was an Air Force surgeon in California during the Vietnam War, head of Emergency Medicine at Park City Hospital in Bridgeport and as chief of Emergency Medical Services Planning for a portion of Connecticut, he was a pioneer in developing protocols for emergency medical technicians and paramedics. His background in science led to a greater interest in the study of nature, including archeology and geology. And history.

Rankin has done educational presentations from Native Americans in the region to race, diversity, and the history of the Underground Railroad in the area. The former led him to Hammonasset and the latter into his own family roots: his grandfather was a notable abolitionist.

We are getting to the rhubarb.

Rankin helped found the Friends of Hammonasset two decades ago and its efforts paved the way for the creation of the Meigs Point Nature Center. By the way, its Facebook page features regular and fascinating Live videos from inside the park, a recent one with a Barred owl and her three owlets.

The Friends of Hammonasset has raised hundreds of thousands through its plant sales to build the center.

Now, we’re at the rhubarb.

Rankin’s Rhubarb Patch

Don and Nancy Rankin’s vegetable patch was bursting, and they started a little business out of it that included a farm stand. They sold much of what they grew in a stand outside their house. All the money they made though, was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Eventually, they’d stop selling from their farm stand as the honor system isn’t always honored: “People started stealing.”

But they kept growing. Until around three years ago when Rankin was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They moved much of their patch nearer to their house. But the rhubarb in the original farm just kept growing. “Despite digging it all up, it just kept coming back.”

Meanwhile, as the rhubarb thrives, Rankin is trying to stay alive: trial studies and new medicines through Smilow Cancer Center. He said the treatments have given him “two years of extra life.” But when he speaks about the cancer, he is anything but defeated or downbeat.

“I’ve lost strength, but my spirit is very strong. I’m going to die, but I hold everything very sacred. I’ve had a great life. The kind of life people dream about.”

Rankin wants people to know about the coronavirus. He wants people to know about the interconnectedness of life, and about how we all play a role.

“My job, as a scientist and a human is to tell the truth. In one of my blogs, a guy said, ‘You know a lot of stuff.’ I know nothing. What I have is an understanding. And that’s the key: understanding.”

Rankin said his wife will continue to grow rhubarb. And the’ll sell it for a coupe of dollars a pound. People have been asking: “Anyone have rhubarb?”

The Rankins do. It’ll be ready soon. The money they raise will go to Smilow.

“Any contribution isn’t about the amount of money. It’s about giving back to society. In what way do we want to be helpful. We are the intelligence in the universe. How we conduct ourselves is important. How we treat each other. How we treat the elderly, women, children, honor diversity? What I say is, ‘It is all sacred. How we express ourselves matters.”